Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Device and Method for Producing Packages for Cigarettes
Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to an apparatus for producing packs for
cigarettes having a
continuously driven conveying means.
Summary
The invention relates to an apparatus for producing packs for cigarettes,
having a continuously
driven conveying means, in particular a transporting belt with drivers, for
transporting the packs,
and having an arrangement for applying printing carriers, such as labels,
coupons or the like, to
a side surface of the packs, wherein the arrangement for applying the printing
carriers is
arranged in the region of the conveying means, for the purpose of applying the
printing carriers
to a side surface of the pack, this side surface being directed toward the
arrangement, during
transportation along the conveying means. The invention also relates to a
corresponding
method.
The operation of applying printing carriers in the form of labels to side
surfaces of cigarette
packs is known in principle. The labels may be, for example, revenue stamps.
The present
invention is concerned, in particular, with the operation of applying such
labels in the region of
narrow side surfaces of cigarette packs. Legal requirements, for example the
obligation to apply
a health warning message to the cigarette pack, barcodes or the like, mean
that the surface
area available for the design of the cigarette pack is getting smaller and
smaller. In this respect,
applying the label exclusively in the region of the narrow side surfaces is
advantageous
because this means that the large-surface-area front side and rear side of the
pack are not
concealed by the label.
A basic problem, however, is that of retrofitting existing packaging machines,
in order for it to be
possible for the packs to be provided with a label in the region of the narrow
side surfaces. The
layout of the installation usually has to be altered for this purpose, which,
in the case of systems
which have already been set up, gives rise to considerable outlay and
technical problems.
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Taking this as a departure point, it is an object of the present invention to
propose an apparatus
which makes it possible in a straightforward manner to alter the relative
position of the packs in
conjunction with the operation of applying printing carriers and which can be
integrated
preferably straightforwardly in existing installations.
To attempt to achieve this object, an apparatus according to the invention
includes a pivoting
arrangement for altering the relative position of the packs is arranged in the
region of the
conveying means and/or of the arrangement for applying the printing carriers,
wherein the
pivoting arrangement is set up for receiving a respective pack in a relative
position appropriate
for transportation on the conveying means, and for rotating the pack into a
relative position
suitable for applying the printing carrier, and for further rotating the pack
into a relative position
appropriate for further transportation on the conveying means.
The pivoting arrangement allows the relative position of the pack to be
altered in adaptation to
the set-up and operating position of the arrangement for applying the printing
carrier, and/or for
adaptation to the relative position of the packs on the conveying means. It is
thus possible for
the pivoting arrangement and the arrangement for applying the printing
carriers to be integrated
in an existing conveying path, without it being necessary to alter the
conveying path itself or the
alignment of the pack during transportation along the conveying path. This is
catered for by the
pivoting arrangement, which feeds the packs in a correctly positioned state to
the arrangement
for applying the printing carriers and sets the packs down again on the
conveying means in the
original relative position.
According to a preferred embodiment, it is provided that the pivoting
arrangement has a holder
for a pack, into which an individual pack can be pushed by the conveying
means, and that the
holder can be rotated by a gear mechanism such that that side surface of the
pack which is to
be provided with the printing carrier can be directed toward the arrangement
for applying the
printing carriers and, once the printing carrier has been applied, can be
rotated back into the
original relative position, and the pack can be transferred onto the conveying
means.
The holder, for example in the form of a cassette, thus receives the pack from
the conveying
means and turns the corresponding side surface ¨ preferably a narrow side
surface ¨ toward
the arrangement for applying the printing carriers. Thereafter, the pivoting
arrangement turns
the pack back into the original relative position and transfers the pack,
provided with the printing
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carrier, onto the conveying means. The pack can then be processed further in
the usual
manner. As an alternative, once the printing carrier has been applied, the
rotary arrangement
can also rotate the pack into a relative position on the conveying means other
than the original
relative position. In the case of being integrated into an existing
installation, further adaptations
may then be required. In the case of a new installation, the pivoting
arrangement may thus also
be utilized in order to alter the relative position.
It is often the case in practice that the packs are arranged on the conveying
means in a state in
which they lie flat and have a narrow side surface oriented in the conveying
direction, and that,
by means of the pivoting arrangement, the packs can be directed, with a narrow
side surface
oriented upward, toward the arrangement for applying the printing carriers,
this arrangement
being arranged above the conveying means.
A further special feature provides that the packs are accumulated in the
region of an entry
station and can be fed individually to a turning arrangement for rotating and
separating the
packs and transferring the packs onto the conveying means. Further details of
the turning
arrangement can be gathered elsewhere in the description. The accumulation of
packs and the
turning arrangement aid straightforward connection to the conveying means with
the pivoting
arrangement. The accumulation of packs may also be utilized in order to
control the operation of
the machines downstream.
In design terms, the procedure may be such that the holder for the pack is
mounted on a rocker
such that it can be pivoted on either side of the conveying means, wherein the
rocker is
mounted in a pivotable manner on rocker bearings and can be moved along an
imaginary curve,
together with the holder, via a drive, and that the holder for the packs can
be rotated about the
bearing point on the rocker via a lever.
In respect of the drive of the apparatus, the procedure may be such that the
lever for rotating
the holder and a lever for moving the rocker can be driven by a gear mechanism
with a common
drive. As an alternative, it is conceivable for this to be realized by
separate drives, in particular
individually actuable servomotors. Servomotor control here provides several
advantages in
respect of adapting the movement path of the rocker and of the holder to
different types of pack,
in particular packs with printing carriers positioned on different side
surfaces. Further details in
this respect can be gathered elsewhere in the description.
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Once the printing carrier has been applied, the packs are fed to an
arrangement for wrapping
the packs in a preferably transparent outer wrapper.
In accordance with a method according to the invention, the packs are rotated
in respect of their
relative position by means of a pivoting arrangement, during transportation
along the conveying
means, such that the side surface which is to be provided with the printing
carrier is directed
toward the arrangement for applying the printing carriers, and that the
pivoting arrangement
rotates the packs, once the printing carriers have been applied, into a
relative position for further
transportation on the conveying means, in particular into the original
relative position on the
conveying means.
The method is preferably used such that the packs are pushed from the
conveying means into a
holder of the pivoting arrangement and, by virtue of the holder being rotated
in relation to the
conveying means, the packs are moved into a relative position for applying the
printing carriers,
in particular with a corresponding side surface, preferably a narrow side
surface, of the pack
oriented upward in the direction of the arrangement for applying the printing
carriers.
According to a preferred conFiguration of the method, the holder, in addition
to being rotated, is
also accelerated in relation to the conveying means in order to move the pack
into the relative
position for applying the printing carriers, and in that, once the printing
carriers have been
applied and the packs have been transferred onto the conveying means, the
holder is moved
back into a starting position for receiving the next pack.
Once the printing carriers have been applied, the packs can be transferred
once again onto the
conveying means in order to be fed to a wrapping machine for an outer wrapper.
It is further preferably provided that the packs are transported closely
together in the first
instance and then, by means of a turning arrangement, are separated and
rotated and
transferred onto the conveying means for applying the printing carriers.
A further special feature may consist in that, for the purpose of producing
packs without printing
carriers, the holder for the packs is positioned on the conveying means at a
fixed location in the
conveying path of the packs such that the packs are conveyed through the fixed-
location holder
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by way of the conveying means. In other words, the holder or the rotary
arrangement is brought
to a standstill and the packs are conveyed through without being rotated.
Further details of the invention can be gathered elsewhere in the present
disclosure.
Brief Description of the Drawings
Preferred exemplary embodiments of the invention will be explained hereinbelow
with reference
to the drawing, in which:
Fig. 1 shows a three-dimensional illustration of a pack for cigarettes,
Fig. 2 shows a three-dimensional illustration of part of an apparatus for
producing packs
for cigarettes,
Fig. 3 shows a side view of the apparatus according to Fig. 2,
Fig. 4 shows an enlarged three-dimensional illustration of a gear
mechanism for driving
a pivoting arrangement of the apparatus,
Figs. 5 to 10 show individual phases which follow one after the other in the
operation of applying
printing carriers to a pack, in the region of detail V according to Fig. 3,
Fig. 11 shows a vertical section through the apparatus taken along section
line XI-XI in
Fig. 3, and
Fig. 12 shows a partially enlarged side view, analogous to the
illustration in Fig. 3, of an
alternative apparatus.
Detailed Description
The invention will be described hereinbelow with reference to two exemplary
embodiments. A
first exemplary embodiment is shown in Figs 1 to 11. Fig. 12 shows the
essential parts of an
alternative conFiguration, as a second exemplary embodiment.
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The two exemplary embodiments relate to the production of packs 10 for
cigarettes. The packs
shown in the exemplary embodiments are cigarette packs of the hinge-lid type.
The packs 10
here are of cuboidal design with a lower box part 11 and an upper lid, which
are connected to
one another in a pivotable manner via a linear articulation 13.
The packs 10 have an end wall 14 on the upper side of the lid 12 and a base
wall 15, located
opposite, on the box part 11. Also present is a large-surface-area front side
16, which is formed
from a lid front wall 17 and box front wall 18. A rear side 19 is formed
opposite the front side 16,
and comprises a lid rear wall 20 and box rear wall 21. The linear articulation
13 runs between
the lid rear wall 20 and box rear wall 21. Two further side surfaces of the
pack 10 are formed by
the so-called narrow side surfaces 22, 23, which are located opposite one
another and are
formed by lid side walls 24 and box side walls 25. In the region of the narrow
side surfaces 22,
23, an obliquely directed closing edge runs between the lid 12 and box part
11.
Within the context of this application, the side surfaces of the pack 10 are
intended to mean the
front side 16, the rear side 19, the narrow side surfaces 22, 23, the end wall
13 and the base
wall 15.
In the region of one of the two narrow side surfaces 22, a printing carrier in
the form of a label
26 is applied to the pack 10. The label 26 extends merely in the region of the
narrow side
surface 22, that is to say, in particular, not (also) in the region of the
front side 16, rear side 19
or end wall 14. The label 26 extends more or less over the entire width of the
narrow side
surface 22 in the region of the obliquely directed closing edge between the
lid 12 and box part
11. Accordingly, the label 26 is destroyed when the pack 10 is opened for the
first time. In order
to make it easier for the pack 10 to be opened or used for the first time, the
label 26 has a
weakening line 27, which is applied along the closing edge. The label 26 is
adhesively bonded
to the pack 10, for example with glue.
Of course, the apparatus can also be utilized for applying other printing
carriers to the pack 10.
For example, it is also possible to apply coupons or the like.
Figs 2 and 3 illustrate parts of a packing machine for cigarette packs which
are important for the
present invention. A complete packing line is disclosed, for example, in the
applicant's
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US 6,751,934 B2. The Figures here illustrate the following subassemblies,
which follow one
after the other in the conveying direction:
1. a first transporting path 28 for packs 10,
2. a turning arrangement 29 for rotating and separating the packs 10,
3. a pivoting arrangement 30 for altering the relative position of the
packs 10,
4. an arrangement 31 for applying labels 26 to the packs 10,
5. a conveying means 32 for transporting the packs 10, and
6. a wrapping machine 33 for wrapping the packs 10 in an outer wrapper.
An entry station 74 is formed in the region of the transporting path 28, the
packs 10 being
transported to the entry station, with the rear side 19 oriented in the
conveying direction, and
accumulated there. The packs 10 here are transported and retained by conveying
strands 34 of
endless conveyors 35. The foremost pack 10, as seen in the transporting
direction in each case,
is carried along, and fed to the pivoting arrangement 30, by drivers 36 of a
vertically running
transporting belt 37. The spaced-apart arrangement of the drivers 36 of the
transporting belt 37
causes the packs 10 to be transported away out of the entry station 74, and
separated, in this
way.
The separated packs 10 are then moved along a curved conveying portion 38 by
the
transporting belt 37 and, in the process, are caused to rotate such that the
packs 10 are
arranged with the front side 16 oriented downward and the narrow side surface
22 oriented in
the conveying direction. In this relative position, the packs 10 are gripped
by the turning
arrangement 29.
The turning arrangement 29 has a revolving star 39 with four radially directed
arms 40, which
each grip a pack 10 on the rear side and feed the same to the conveying means
32.
Accordingly, the revolving star 39 is driven continuously and rotated about a
vertical axis. The
pack 10 here is transported along an outer guide plate 41 and, in this way,
rotated through 90
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about an imaginary vertical axis. The packs 10 are thus conveyed onto the
conveying means
32, by the revolving star 39, with the front side 16 oriented downward and
with the narrow side
surface 22 oriented in the conveying direction, the conveying means feeding
the packs 10
continuously, at a distance apart from one another, in the direction of the
wrapping machine 33.
The conveying means 32, in the present case, is designed as an endless
conveyor which
transports the packs 10 in a horizontal plane. The belt 42 of the conveying
means 32 here has
conventionally spaced-apart drivers 43, which grip the packs 10 on the rear
side and transport
them in the conveying direction according to arrow 44.
An arrangement 31 which is known per se and is intended for applying the
labels 26 to the
packs 10 is arranged along the conveying means 32. The construction of such a
label (or
revenue-stamp) apparatus is known, for example, from WO 2007/087885 Al.
Essential
constituent parts are formed by a label magazine 45, a rotationally driven
removal roller 46, a
rotationally driven transfer roller 47 and a glue subassembly 48. By means of
the removal roller
46, the labels 26 are removed individually from the label magazine 45 and
transferred onto the
transfer roller 47. On the circumference of the transfer roller 45, the labels
26 are then provided
with glue, by means of the glue subassembly 48, and subsequently fed to the
pack 10. The
label 26 is transferred onto the packs 10 as the latter are being guided along
the underside of
the transfer roller 47. The operations of transporting the labels 26 and of
transporting the packs
are coordinated here such that the label 26 ends up located in the desired
position on the
pack 10.
As can be seen, in particular, from Fig. 3, the arrangement 31 for applying
the labels 26 is
positioned at a distance above the packs 10, which are transported in a state
in which they lie
flat on the conveying means 32. In other words, the distance is selected such
that the packs 10
can be transported freely beneath the arrangement 31. This may be
advantageous, for
example, if the packs 10 are not to be provided with a label 26.
Accordingly, for the purpose of applying a label 26, the distance between the
packs 10 and the
arrangement 31 has to be reduced. In addition, for the purpose of applying the
label 26 to the
narrow side surface 22, the relative position of the packs 10 has to be
altered such that that side
surface of the packs 10 which is to be provided with the label 26 is directed
toward the transfer
mechanism 47. The pivoting arrangement 30 is provided for this purpose.
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The pivoting arrangement 30 has a holder 49 for a pack 10, it being possible
for this holder to
be moved, and pivoted and/or rotated in the process, by a gear mechanism 50
along a path
which is shown in Figs 5 to 10.
The holder 49 is of cassette-like design, with a cross section corresponding
to the outer
dimensions of the packs 10. The dimensions of the interior of the holder 49
are selected such
that a pack 10 can be pushed into the holder 49 and retained by the same.
Accordingly, the
pack 10 butts against walls of the holder 49. Furthermore, the holder 49 has,
on its underside,
an aperture 51, through which the belt 42 of the conveying means 32 can pass.
The pivoting arrangement 30, with reference to Figs 5 to 10, functions as
follows:
In the first instance, a pack 10 is pushed into the holder 49 by way of the
conveying means 32.
The holder 49 here is arranged such that it is aligned with the route along
which the packs 10
are transported on the belt 42. The holder 49 is of smaller dimensions in the
conveying direction
than the pack 10, the pack 10 projecting out of the holder 49 on the front
side, as seen in the
transporting direction.
Once the pack 10 has been pushed in, the holder 49 is moved according to arrow
44 in the
conveying direction of the packs 10 and, in the process, is pivoted about a
horizontal axis into
an upright position according to Fig. 7. In the upright position, the narrow
side surface 22, which
is to be provided with the label 26, is directed toward the transfer mechanism
47, which has
transported the label 26 into an appropriate position, in which case contact
between the narrow
side surface 22 and the label 26 on the circumference of the transfer
mechanism 47 causes the
label 26 to be pressed against the narrow side surface 22 and applied there. A
further special
feature of this operation is that the holder 49 is accelerated in relation to
the belt 42, in order to
allow sufficient time for the holder 49 to pivot.
Once the label 26 has been applied, the holder 49 is transported further in
the conveying
direction of the packs 10 and, in the process, is rotated back into the
original relative position,
until it is aligned once again, according to Fig. 8, in relation to the route
along which the packs
are transported. The movement path of the holder 49 here is coordinated such
that the pack
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10, in the position according to Fig. 9, is gripped on the rear side once
again by the driver 43
and transported further in the conveying direction.
Thereafter, the holder 49, according to Fig. 10, is moved back, counter to the
conveying
direction of the packs 10, into the starting position according to Fig. 5, and
the next pack 10 is
thereby pushed in.
The gear mechanism 50, which is shown on an enlarged scale in Figs 4 and 11,
is provided for
the purpose of controlling the movement of the cassette-like holder 49. Fig.
3, which shows a
side view, is also important in this respect. Much of the gear mechanism 50 is
arranged in a
housing 52 beneath the conveying means 32. Two plate-like rockers 53 form the
central
constituent part of the drive for the holder 49.
In the present case, the rockers 53 are approximately triangular, bearing
points for connection
to other mechanisms being provided in the corner regions.
The holder 49 is connected to the rockers 53 at two points. On one side, the
holder 49 is
connected, in a corner region of the same, to a rocker 53 directly, namely in
the region of an
upper corner point thereof. On the opposite side, the holder 49 is connected
to the other rocker
53, by way of a corresponding corner region, via a short lever component 54.
The lever
component 54, in turn, is connected in a pivotable manner to a lever 55, which
is coupled to the
gear mechanism 50, for pivoting the holder 49 about an axis running through
the two upper
corner points of the rockers 53.
The rockers 53 are each mounted in a pivotable manner in the region of the
lower two corner
points. Two rocker bearings 56 are used for this purpose, these being mounted
in a pivotable
manner, on the one hand, on the housing 52 and, on the other hand, at in each
case one corner
point of the two rockers 53. In this way, the rockers 53 are mounted on the
housing 52, via the
rocker bearings 56, such that they can be pivoted back and forth on either
side in the conveying
direction of the pack.
The rockers 53 extend in an upright state to a location laterally on either
side of the conveying
means 32, for connection to the holder 49, which can be moved above the
conveying means 32.
Accordingly, the rockers are positioned in through-passages 75 of the housing
52.
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The pivoting movement of the rocker 53 is produced via the coupling of a lever
57 to two lever
components 58, which are arranged on a common axial element 59. The axial
element 59
connects the two rockers 53 and is arranged on the lower periphery of the
rockers 53,
approximately in the longitudinal center. The lever components 58 are fixed on
the axial element
59 and are connected by an axial element 60, to which the lever 57 is coupled.
The lever 55 for rotating the holder 49 and the lever 57 for pivoting the
rockers 53 are each
driven via pivoting levers 61, 62. The pivoting levers 61, 62 are each mounted
on shafts 63, 64,
which extend through a wall of the housing 52. The pivoting levers 61, 62 are
rotated about the
shafts 63, 64 via two cam plates 65, 66, which are coupled to the pivoting
levers 61, 62 via cam
levers 67, 68. The cam plates 65, 66 are located on a common driveshaft 69,
which can be
coupled to the central machine drive.
As can be seen from Figs 2 and 3, the packs 10 provided with the label 26 are
transported away
on the conveying means 32, in the conveying direction according to arrow 44,
and fed to a
folding turret 70. The packs 10 here are transported through a material strip
71 for the outer
wrapper of the pack 10, and they carry along a corresponding printing carrier
in a U-shaped
manner in the process. Thereafter, the folding is completed in the known
manner in the folding
turret 70.
Of course, the apparatus, of which the essential parts are described above,
can provide not just
the narrow side surface 22, but also the opposite narrow side surface 23, with
a label 26. It may
be necessary, for this purpose, to change over the bearing points of the
holder 49 on the
rockers 53. It is conceivable, in particular, for the bearing points, rather
than being arranged on
the periphery, to be arranged approximately centrally on the sides of the
holder 49. By virtue of
the cam plates 65, 66 being exchanged, the direction of rotation of the holder
49 can be altered
such that it is not the narrow side surface 22 but the opposite narrow side
surface 23 which is
directed toward the arrangement 31 for applying the labels 26. It is also
conceivable for the label
26 to be applied correspondingly on the front side 16 or rear side 19 of the
packs 10, wherein an
appropriate conFiguration of the levers and cam plates means that all that is
necessary is for
the holder 49 to be rotated to a greater extent.
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The second exemplary embodiment according to Fig. 12 differs from the
exemplary
embodiment according to Figs 1 to 11 only by way of the drive of the pivoting
levers 61, 62. This
is because the latter, in the second exemplary embodiment, are driven by a
respective
servomotor 72, 73.
Each servomotor 72, 73 can be controlled individually, in which case it is
possible to control the
movement path of the holder 49 and the rotation of the holder 49. It is
conceivable to have, for
example, an operating console, at which an operator can predetermine which
side surface of
the packs 10 should be provided with the label 26. Accordingly, it is possible
in each case for
use to be made of suitable programs for controlling the servomotors 72, 73, in
order for the
packs 10 to be provided with the label 26 either on one of the narrow side
surfaces 22, 23 or on
the front side 16.
Furthermore, it is also possible for the pivoting arrangement 30, as in the
first exemplary
embodiment, to be brought to a standstill, in order for packs 10 to be
produced without the label
26. It is also conceivable, in such a conFiguration, for the rear sides 19 of
the packs 10 to be
provided with a label 26, by the arrangement 31 for applying the labels 26
being lowered in
order to cover the distance from the packs 10. This variant is also
conceivable in the case of the
first exemplary embodiment.
* * * * *
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List of designations
Pack
11 Box part
12 Lid
13 Linear articulation
14 End wall
Base wall
16 Front side
17 Lid front wall
18 Box front wall
19 Rear side
Lid rear wall
21 Box rear wall
22 Narrow side surface
23 Narrow side surface
24 Lid side wall
Box side wall
26 Label
27 Weakening line
28 Transporting path
29 Turning arrangement
Pivoting arrangement
31 Arrangement
32 Conveying means
33 Wrapping machine
34 Conveying strand
Endless conveyor
36 Driver
37 Transporting belt
38 Conveying portion
39 Revolving star
Arm
41 Guide plate
42 Belt
43 Driver
44 Arrow
Label magazine
46 Removal roller
47 Transfer roller
48 Glue subassembly
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49 Holder
50 Gear mechanism
51 Aperture
52 Housing
53 Rocker
54 Lever component
55 Lever
56 Rocker bearing
57 Lever
58 Lever component
59 Axial element
60 Axial element
61 Pivoting lever
62 Pivoting lever
63 Shaft
64 Shaft
65 Cam plate
66 Cam plate
67 Cam lever
68 Cam lever
69 Driveshaft
70 Folding turret
71 Material strip
72 Servomotor
73 Servomotor
74 Entry station
75 Through-passage
